China now biggest shipping nation

The fleet owned by Chinese shipowners has reached a total capacity of 249.2 million deadweight tons, surpassing Greece and making China the world's largest shipping nation in terms of deadweight tonnage, an official from the Ministry of Transport said on Tuesday.

China's shipping industry plays a crucial role in the comprehensive transportation system, serving the economic and social development and major national strategies, while also supporting China's modernization efforts, said Gao Haiyun, an official with the ministry's water transport bureau.

In the field of maritime shipping, China has established shipping routes with over 100 countries and regions, covering all coastal countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The service network continues to expand, she noted.

About 95 percent of China's foreign trade volume has been transported via maritime transportation, which plays an important role in ensuring the transportation of key commodities such as imported grain and energy resources. It has also boosted the stable and smooth operation of the domestic and international supply chains, Gao said.

China's port cargo throughput and container throughput have ranked No 1 in the world for years.

Among the top ten ports globally in terms of cargo throughput and container throughput, China claims the eight and seven positions respectively. Last year, the national port cargo throughput reached 15.685 billion tons, and the container throughput reached 296 million TEUs.